Stock condition indicator



Man-.h 3, 1953 J. R. CONLEY STOCK CONDITION INDICATOR Filed Nov. 13,1950 @www Gttornegs Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'Ihis invention relates to stock label holders for stock bins' and otherIreceptacles and, in particular, to devices for indicating lthecondition ofthe articles or materials in such receptacles.

One object of this invention is to provide a stock condition indicatorfor stock bins or other receptacles `which is movably attached to thestock bin label holder and is slidable into and out of indicatingposition so as `to indicate whether or not articles have been removedfrom the bins, `so as to facilitate reordering articles to replenish thearticlesv removed from the bins.

-Another object is to provide a stock condition indicator which willremain `with the bins at all times, and which will indicate at a glancethe state of the contents of each of the bins.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of several bins, showing the stockcondition indicator in different positions of use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of a channel holder in Figurel, containing the stock condition indicator in one position of use;

Figure 3 is an enlarged View of a portion of a channel holder in Figure1 containing the stock condition indicator in another position of use;and

Figure 4 is a view of the stock condition indicator, shown inperspective.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 4 shows a stock conditionindicator, according to one form of the invention, generally indicatedIt, and consisting of a short tab II and a long tab I2 secured togetherand to a base or support i3 by means of a fastener It. The base I3 hasopposite ends I5, and the tabs II and I2 constitute signal members andhave nearer end portions I5 and il' respectively through which thefastener I4 has been driven, and outer end portions I8 and I9respectively, having rounded tips 20. The base I3 and the tabs il and I2are preferably of flexible synthetic plastic. The short tab Il ispreferably red in color, and the long tab I2 preferably yellow, althoughany suitable color system may be substituted.

Figures 2 and 3 show the stock condition indicator lil in use with alabel or marker 2l in a channel 22 having bent retaining flanges 23slidably holding the ends I5 of the base I3 in the grooves 24, formed bythe bending of said flanges.

Figure 1 shows a number of stock condition indicators III, similar tothat shown in Figure fi, in different positions of use in connectionwith a conventional set or stack of storage bins, not a part of theinvention. The channels 22 are se- `2 Claims. (Cl. 116-135) curedto'shelvesV 25 by screws or fasteners `2t in conventional fashion. Theshelf spaces are `divided by verticalpartitions 21 into bins orcompartments 28;

In the use of the invention, the stock condition indicator Iii is placedwithin the channel22 by inserting it in the end of said channel, withtheends I5 of the base I3 held inthe grooves '214 by the retaining flanges23. The indicator {Il} may then be slid to the desired.location,'usuallynext to the label or marker .2.I above orbeneath the storage binpreviously referred to. Alternatively, the indicator ID may ,alsobeinserted directly from the front ofthe channel l22,'t'he ilex- Viblenature of the plasticbase I3, permittingitto be bent until both of theends I5 are fitted in the grooves 2li before the indicator snaps intoplace beside the marker.

If the bin or compartment concerned is full, or has the normal amount ofcontents, such as a certain number of parts, the position of itsindicator i0, according to one form of the invention, is with both ofthe tabs I l and l2 extending behind the label 2l so that both of theouter end portions I8 and I9 respectively are concealed from view.

If, however, the stock clerk or other user removes a part from acompartment for any purpose, he registers the fact that the quantity ofparts remaining therein is now below the standard amount by pulling theindicator I0 to the left away from the label 2| until the tip 2i] of theshort tab II is free of the label. He then pushes the indicator to theright, and raises the tab II slightly with the fingernail so as topermit the label or marker 2| to be wedged between the tab II and thetab I2 (Figure 2) with only the short red tab Il Visible, the longyellow tab I2 remaining concealed behind the marker.

At the time for re-ordering parts, the stock clerk checks his bin labelsfor those requiring replenishment of parts, as indicated by the red tabsII overlying certain of the bin labels 2I. When a part or a number ofparts has been ordered to replace that deficiency created by theprevious removal of parts from the bin and marked by the red tab, asshown in Figure 2, this fact can also be registered by drawing theindicator I0 to the left so that both of the tabs II and I2 are clear ofthe label 2l. The indicator Il) is then slid to the right, the operatormeanwhile raising both the tabs so that their outer ends I8: and I9extend over the face of the label 2l (Figure 3). In this positionI boththe red and the yellow tabs are visible, and signify at a glance thatthe con- 3 tents of the bin designated are being brought up to thestandard amount. When the ordered parts have arrived and have beenplaced in the bins requiring them, the tabs II and I2 of those bins areslid out fromin front of their respective labels 2l and reinserted outof sight behind those labels.

A great advantage of this invention is its availability, requiring nopencil or other object which can be lost or misplaced, causing the userto postpone and later to forget the changing of the label. Thisindicator remains with the bin at all times, requiring only a quick,simple adjustment to indicateat a glance the state of the contentswithin the designated bin. The user may, however, carry extra indicatorsI in his pocket, if he so desires.

In a slight modification of the invention, the nearer end portion I6 ofthe short red tab I I may be made of transparent material, painted orpro vided with a neutral color, and only the outer end portions I8 andI9 provided with signal colors, so that no red `or yellow whatsoevercaribe seen when the outer end portions I8 and IQ of both tabs II and I2are inserted behind the label 2| to show that a normal supply ofarticles is to be found in the bin. This facilitates a rapid inspectionof a large stack of bins, a red color being visible only when the supplyWithin a bin has been altered, and a yellow color only whenreplenishment parts have been reordered.

What I claim is:

1. A stock condition indicator for attachment to the label holdercontaining the label of a stock bin or the like, comprising a basemember of sheet material having its ends slidably engageable with saidholder and adapted to be disposed in said holder beside said label andadjacent one end thereof, and a signal member secured to said basemember and having a portion projecting from one side thereof, saidsignal member being adapted to be moved selectively in front of orbehind said label in response to the sliding of said base memberrelatively to said label holder.

2. A stock condition indicator for attachment to the label holdercontaining the label of a stock bin or the like, comprising a basemember of sheet material having its ends slidably engageable with saidholder and adapted to be disposed in said holder beside said label andadjacent one end thereof, a plurality of signal members secured to saidbase member and having a portion projecting from one side thereof, oneof said pro jecting portions of said signal members being of greaterlength than the other projecting portion and projecting therebeyond,said signal members being adapted to be moved selectively in front oi orbehind said label in response to the sliding of said base memberrelatively to said label holder.

JOSEPH ROSS CONLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile ofthis Ipatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 153,160 Dunham July 21, 18741,694,639 Brown Dec. ll, 1928 2,497,285 Allardice Feb. 14, 19502,544,445 Corziluis Mar. 6, 1951

